This invention relates, in general to improved stick dispensers; and more particularly to improved dispensers for cosmetic stick solids.
Heretofore, dispensers were filled with product through the mouth of the cylindrical container, this also being the area from which the product is applied. This top-filling process results in inefficiency, as the cap can not be placed on the dispenser until the container has been filled and the product cooled. Also, after cooling, the upper surface of the so filled product has a rough and uneven shape in its area of application. Additionally, due to settling, the upper surface of the product may have a concave shape, reducing the aesthetic and utilitarian function of the stick product.
A further problem with prior art stick dispensers of the type described is that the product's useful life is reduced due to contact with air entering the cylindrical container between the cap and the upper opening which tends to dry-out the stick product. Also, in order to ease the slidability of the product, it has been customary in the prior art to form cylindrical dispensers with walls which are characterized by a substantial taper in the direction of the base. Thus, as the product is moved up the container, a gap is formed between the stick product and the inner cylinder walls, further reducing product life due to exposure to air.
Additionally, air-tight snap-on caps require a substantial amount of pressure to open and close them properly. Often, the user, failing to exert the necessary pressure, ineffectively closes the cap, thus allowing air to enter the dispenser; or, when he closes the container properly, the snap-fit results in a closure which is difficult to re-open.